There is a credible call for a general strike in the United States in four years.
The call first came from the United Auto Workers after its fall 2023 stand-up strike, in which the union took on the Big Three carmakers simultaneously in rolling, surprise work stoppages. All three contracts that emerged are slated to expire on the same day: May 1, 2028, International Workers’ Day. This is not the first time UAW has aligned the Big Three contracts, but what the union did next is remarkable. It put out a challenge to the US labor movement: “We invite unions around the country to align your contract expirations with our own so that together we can begin to flex our collective muscles,” UAW announced on October 29, 2023.
This appeal for joint expiration on such a meaningful day for workers opens up possibilities ranging from mass, simultaneous strikes that disrupt industries across the country to a tremendous number of concurrent contract campaigns that increase worker leverage. This kind of cooperation across unions and sectors—if carried out on a large scale—would be unprecedented in the 21st century United States.
There are signs that credible unions and labor leaders are taking this coordination and work seriously. The Chicago Teachers Union AFT-IFT Local 1 is working with UAW and other worker and training organizations to create an organizing institute for the express purpose of getting ready for May Day 2028. Some major unions, like the American Federation of Teachers, are formally supporting the effort to align contracts, alongside a growing number of local, regional, and labor bodies within the AFL-CIO. Labor activists say interest and momentum are spreading, including among rank-and-file formations like Unite All Workers for Democracy, a grassroots movement within the UAW.